July 14, 2010

Reporters Notebooks

Tom Hoffarth, Farther Off the Wall: Former USC coach Pete Carroll shows a range of emotions — apologetic, remorseful, but also agitated, exasperated with raised eyebrows — in an interview that will air Wednesday night on HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel." HBO released rough-cut preview of the segment that includes reporter Andrea Kremer asking Carroll if he knew Reggie Bush's family had new, improved living conditions. "Of course not. When you are growing up, Andrea, did you have any idea of your parents' mortgage situation? Think about it. None of us knew. We don't know. I couldn't tell you now how my mom and dad paid for their house."

Hayes Hickman and Don Jacobs, Knoxville News Sentinel: Senior defensive tackle Chase Nelson is said to have started the bar brawl involving Tennessee players last week when he attacked patron Gary Russell, according to a police report. Nelson has been on academic suspension since the end of the spring semester and has not taken part in any team activities. It's still not clear who kicked unconscious off-duty officer Robert Capouellez, who was released Monday from University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Chris Low, ESPN: Patron Russell has a broken nose, bruises on his chest and nine stitches above his left eye. "If not for my friends jumping in, I would be dead or brain-dead," he said. "It was obvious that they weren't going to stop."

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Lloyd Carr is stepping down as associate athletic director at Michigan. Carr said he'll "hit a few more golf balls and cast a few more lines," and promised that watching the Wolverines play will remain his primary passion.

George Hostetter, Fresno Bee: You'd think Western Athletic Conference headquarters would be in a place that made geographical
sense to conference members — Modesto, for example, or Stockton. Fat
chance. WAC headquarters is in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village, a place where the median annual income for a family is about $145,000, and the per capita annual income is nearly $70,000. Barely 1% of the families are below the poverty line. The nearest WAC school is Utah State, about 300 miles to the west.

Adam Jones, Tuscaloosa News: Alabama's lawsuit against artist Daniel Moore has gained the support of 27 universities. Alabama sued Moore for trademark violations in March 2005, alleging he painted scenes of Crimson Tide games without permission from the university and reissued previously licensed prints without paying royalties. The university is seeking back pay for more than 20 paintings and wants Moore to license any future paintings. Moore denied violating federal trademark laws protecting visual art and claimed his art is speech that is protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Darren Rovell, CNBC: Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has yet to take a snap as a pro, but his NFL jersey is leading the league in sales.

Matt James, Fresno Bee: Fresno State is having trouble selling season tickets despite seven home games, including two against Bowl Championship Series opponents (Cincinnati and Illinois).

Tyson Alger, Oregonian: Oregon State standouts James and Jacquizz Rodgers were involved in a minor traffic accident last weekend.

J. Brady McCollough, Kansas City Star: Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins will not pursue a blackmail charge he made in April against former Jayhawk director of sports medicine William Dent, according to Perkins' attorney.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Michigan director of football operations Brad Labadie, who was involved in the Countable Athletically-Related Activity (CARA) forms that were mishandled and a focus of the NCAA investigation, has resigned. He has taken a job with Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Penn State Clips: Former Penn State fullback Steve Smith, a captain on the 1986 national championship team, is in a death struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Neill Woelk, Boulder Daily Camera: It's the end of the road for the Colorado-Nebraska rivalry, and that's not a good thing.

Janet Reid, Lawrence Journal-World: The jury in the civil trial stemming from a 2006 fatal accident involving a Kansas State fan bus has found a Manhattan automobile dealership not liable.

Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register: Georgia State will get an additional $35,000 for agreeing to move its game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa from Saturday, Nov. 20 to Thursday, Nov. 18. The Panthers will now receive $435,000 to serve as a punching bag for the Crimson Tide.

Tony Krausz, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Notre Dame freshman safety Chris Badger, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, applied for a two-year Mormon mission that would begin in August. If accepted, Badger would return to Notre Dame in 2012 and have four years of eligibility remaining.